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Toronto teen soccer star Adonijah Reid heading to MLS

Toronto teen soccer star Adonijah Reid heading to MLS

Adonijah Reid has had a soccer ball at his feet long before he could even stand; well-schooled in the sport before he ever stepped on the field.

"He's always played against people two, three years older than him," said his father Linford Reid, who introduced Adonijah to the 'beautiful game' as a child.

Now, the Brampton teenager is poised to prove himself in the big leagues. Reid, 17, was the youngest player selected this in the Major League Soccer (MLS) 2017 SuperDraft.

His new team, FC Dallas, took him in the second round and the chance to prove himself is coming quickly. Reid is flying to Texas on Saturday to begin training with the team.

"It's been a dream of mine since I was a young kid," Reid said.

"From all the hard work and all the belief people have given to me, I'm just happy it finally came true."

Reid, an attacking player known for his speed, agility and lethal goal scoring, is considered one of the top prospects on Canada's U-20 national team.

He's honed his skills for the past six years at ANB Futbol Academy in King City — about 50 kilometres north of Toronto — travelling from his hometown of Brampton to attend training sessions and practice matches.

Bassam Naim, ANB Academy's director called Reid one of the hardest working players he's ever coached.

"He's a naturally gifted player. If he has a chance [to score], he finishes far more often than he misses it," Naim said.

A long road to the pros

Reid's talent has been tested against strong competition since he was 11-years-old.

Canada is not yet seen as a hotbed for producing world-class soccer talent; a point Reid felt he needed to prove wrong when he had trials at French soccer clubs in Nice and Lyon.

"The first time I was there, the other players were looking at me like, 'This guy's from Canada, he's probably not that good.' But after I started playing and showing them what I could do, they went, 'Wow, this kid's actually got something.'"

The pressure to perform now awaits him at the MLS level; where physical play and speed are a given from the players and not considered exceptional.

The teen said he's relishing the opportunity to prove himself on and off the pitch.

"As soon as I get [to Dallas], I'm just going to train hard, every day, all the time in the preseason to show them I'm ready to be there."

Among his professional goals, Reid is still a high school student who will be taking the rest of his classes online for the rest of the year to complete his schooling as he trains in the U.S.

While in high school, Reid has had a habit of taking his teams to the top — his squad from David Suzuki Secondary School won Ontario's high school soccer championship in 2016.

Coach Kathryn Warner called Reid a player who led by example and added,"I've coached him but I've taught him as well and see how much he's done and how far he goes and travels. It's a very proud moment for a teacher."

Reid says he won't get too far ahead of himself as he needs to first win a starting spot on FC Dallas's roster. But already he has his sights set on facing the best competition in the world.

"I want to be a top player in the MLS so I can show my worth. And if good things come out of that, hopefully I can play in the top five leagues — mainly the Spanish or the English Premier League."